YSU vs WSU

[Double ET]

Give the team lots of credit pulling this one out at the end 90-87

[guinpen]

Congrats to them, they made it interesting all the way to the buzzer

[Dmorton]

Chris Shelton and Ogoro huge at the end!  How come every team we play is always larger than us?

[Double ET]

Ogoro’s inability to shoot FT is a hugh liability. Until he made the last FT, he had missed 11 in a row.
I don’t understand this. European players are usually very good in shooting FT, especially playing at the guard position.I was surprised that he was still in at the end of the game.

When he received the last inbound at mid court, he might have better off running away from the defender to use up the time instead of going to the basket (getting fouled).
I thought Cohil also did well at the end of the game.

[Dmorton]

Cohill was huge the entire game, especially second half!

[mudclods]

You hate to say games a must wins still at this juncture in the season, but I feel this game was pretty much that for the morale of the team.  Losing 4 straight at home the way they've lost them and having to go on the road to play 2 teams you recently lost to at home would have been tough.  Now they're 2 over .500 overall and back to .500 in the league.  If they can split this road trip and remain at .500, the next 4 they should be heavily favored in (GB & Milwaukee and at home and IUPUI & UIC on the road).

This was a strange game and not the typical game YSU prevails in when it gets high scoring.  I really didn't have a good feeling throughout the game that YSU was going to come back.  They were physical and controlling the boards.  YSU did a nice job just hanging in the game, but I thought when they were down 9 in the 2nd half it was over.  YSU continues though to struggle to close out games.  Up 3, Shelton took that 3 early in the shot clock, and I thought here we go again.  They get the rebound, score, and get fouled.

Cohill has been tremendous.  I like him running the point and driving.  He has so much speed and has the size advantage over Shemar.  DQ used to be so good at that.  Shemar can, but his lack of size gets him in trouble. 

The Ogoro FT shooting just blows my mind.  It has to be a mental thing with him.  He's shooting at 49% from the field including 42.4% from 3, but just 33.3% from the FT line.  Last year he shot 50% from the FT line. 

You just hope this team can peak down the stretch.  The good thing is they've basically been in every game this year except the 2nd half of WVU and that 22-0 run by Oakland.  It's really not out of the realm to say this team could be 15-3 if they had Covington.  I just really don't see them blowing the games to CSU, NKU & SIUE or laying eggs to Niagara & PFW.  At the very least, they win 3 of those.   

[Double ET]

I would love to know how our team would do this year with: Naz, DQ, Mayes, Akuchie, Covington, Cohill, Shelton and Olison.

[Dmorton]

I would imagine about 15-3, Maybe better!  In the top four in the league, maybe top two!

[mudclods]

Naz is averaging 4.8 pts, 4.1 rebounds in about 18 mins per game.  Clemson is 10-7, 2-4.

DQ is averaging 16.4 pts.  His 3PT% is 35%.  He's avg nearly 37 mins per game.  Fordham is 9-6, 2-1.

I'm sure both transferred for better notoriety and a better chance at making the big dance, but you have to wonder if they'll really accomplish that.

I think with them YSU would easily be as good or better than Oakland and CSU, who are clearly the best teams in the league right now. 

[Penquin68]

I agree that with DQ and Naz we would be right up there in the Horizon League, more so with Naz who would give us a strong force under the basket which we sorely miss.  DQ is good, but I think Cohill can be just as good or nearly so. Unfortunately no one has been close to replacing Naz inside.

I think DQ left because of disagreements with the staff and probably some players. It doesn't seem to me that Fordam is at a much higher level than us. He may play overseas, but I really doubt the NBA. As for Naz, he is at a higher level with more support than we could offer. I don't think he had any bad feelings with the staff or players, and only left to get the higher level of support.

We really need someone to step up from Daniel, Miles, Jamir, or even Jacori. We have 4 solid players in Cohill, Mays, Akuchie, and Olison.  Just need a few more to make us that much better. I hope we can do it.

Mary Dunn on the other hand is at Pitt and comes in off the bench. Higher level and grad programs at the PhD level for her that are not available here. If she stayed at YSU she would get a MS here and then try to get into a PhD progam after graduation. She wants to teach at the college level and a PhD is really necessary. And being at Pitt may be a plus with more of a chance to get a faculty position because of relationships she may make there that would be better possibly than staying with us. I thnk she would be happier here, but Lilly Ritz is the real deal and not sure we would get her if Mary Dunn was here. I like Lilly more than Mary and I think we will win more with her. The other girls that left do not seem to be doing anything great where they went except possibly the freshman from out west that went to Las Vegas I think.

[mudclods]

I agree that with DQ and Naz we would be right up there in the Horizon League, more so with Naz who would give us a strong force under the basket which we sorely miss.  DQ is good, but I think Cohill can be just as good or nearly so. Unfortunately no one has been close to replacing Naz inside.

I think DQ left because of disagreements with the staff and probably some players. It doesn't seem to me that Fordam is at a much higher level than us. He may play overseas, but I really doubt the NBA. As for Naz, he is at a higher level with more support than we could offer. I don't think he had any bad feelings with the staff or players, and only left to get the higher level of support.

We really need someone to step up from Daniel, Miles, Jamir, or even Jacori. We have 4 solid players in Cohill, Mays, Akuchie, and Olison.  Just need a few more to make us that much better. I hope we can do it.

Mary Dunn on the other hand is at Pitt and comes in off the bench. Higher level and grad programs at the PhD level for her that are not available here. If she stayed at YSU she would get a MS here and then try to get into a PhD progam after graduation. She wants to teach at the college level and a PhD is really necessary. And being at Pitt may be a plus with more of a chance to get a faculty position because of relationships she may make there that would be better possibly than staying with us. I thnk she would be happier here, but Lilly Ritz is the real deal and not sure we would get her if Mary Dunn was here. I like Lilly more than Mary and I think we will win more with her. The other girls that left do not seem to be doing anything great where they went except possibly the freshman from out west that went to Las Vegas I think.

Yes I agree with the above.  YSU really misses Naz's presence inside.  He could take over a game and wear teams down with his offensive rebounding.  Right now YSU just isn't physical enough inside. 

I've always felt like there was a weird vibe with DQ last year once his injury occurred early in the season.  He just never seemed fully engaged.

It just feels like this team is one player away from being able to win on a consistent level.  Obviously Covington was the guy, but just that one other player really hasn't stepped up as you had said, think we know what we have in Akuchie, Shemar, Olison & Cohill.

[Double ET]

I still believe that we could have won at least 4 more games if Covington was still on the court. He probably would be able to stop the last 3 point basket by CSU with his defense.

I thought it was an outstanding opportunity for Naz to play at ACC with a possible trip to the big dance. I didn’t believe it had anything to do with YSU. He couldn’t pass up the chance.  I am also realistic enough to recognize that he probably couldn’t crack the starting line up because of his lack of size for that league playing as a small forward.

Watching DQ last year, I didn’t see the fire in him and having chemistry with the team. When he left for a team not much better than YSU, it pretty much told all you need to know.